Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Compared to some pure bred dogs, the Dobermann is relatively healthy, although there are a few specific conditions that can affect the breed.
Listed below are conditions to be aware of that can affect the Dobermann, however there are official schemes that breeders can use to health check their stock for Hip Dysplasia, Eyes (PHPV) and von Willebrands Disease.
HIP DYSPLASIA (HD)
Hip dysplasia (HD) is a term which covers a number of specific developmental and other abnormalities involving the hip joint. Developmental changes come first, mainly relating to growth and are known as primary changes. The other changes come later and are related to wear and tear from usage and are known as secondary changes. The end result is one or a pair of joints that become mechanically unsound and therefore do not function properly. An unsound joint is usually a painful one and lameness will probably result particularly in extreme cases where the dog may find movement very difficult.
Where mobility is needed, the normal hip is an ideal way of enabling the transfer of power from the hind leg muscles to the body so that the creature is driven forward with strength and speed. The close relationship of the ball to the socket within the hip joint permits rapid changes in direction and the strength of the supporting structures of ligaments, tendons and muscles make the hip a unit. Large joint surfaces of cartilage lubricated by joint fluid ensure smooth pain-free action.
As hip dysplasia is made up of joint looseness, new bone formation or bone loss, inflammation and pain, it can show up in a range of signs from apparent soundness through lameness to degrees of exercise intolerance. Combine these findings with the fact that some breeds and some individuals are more stoic than others and there is no predicting by just looking from the outside to what degree a particular dog has or hasn’t got HD. More reliable is the clinical examination which is likely to reveal limitation of movement of the affected hip, probable reduction in muscle mass of the limb and some degree of pain. Remember, a dog with HD in the normal course of life does not show discomfort by yelping, mainly because the pain is likely to be continuous as opposed to sudden and unexpected.
The way to assess the presence or relative absence of HD is by radiography. This is an accurate photographic way of showing the position of the ball of the joint in relation to the socket and the presence and degree of any secondary changes.
If HD was caused by a single factor then it would have been fully understood and largely overcome by now. It is known that two factors determine whether HD is going to occur and if so, how bad it will be. The two factors are inheritance and environmental factors. Inheritance relates to genetic codes passed on to the offspring by the parents and environmental factors are the outside influences that alter and mould the growth and function of the bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the body, like exercise, diet, rate of growth.
It is important to catch HD early, before it causes pain or long term damage. It is also important for prospective Dobermann owners, when choosing a breeder, to research the blood lines to insure the parents and grand parents in particular do not have the condition.
It is worth remembering that it is possible for two animals with excellent hip scores to go on to produce offspring with HD, therefore it isn’t rocket science to conclude that an animal with a poor hip score, even when combined with an animal with an excellent score, is likely to increase the incidence of HD in the progeny they produce. It is also true that two animals with poor hip scores may go on to produce offspring with good hip scores, although it is likely that at least some of the litter will have inherited some degree of HD. Actual HD can skip a generation or two, but the genetic influence is still present, so particularly in the last scenario, it is possible that the portion of offspring with the good hip scores could still go on to pass on genes responsible for the development of HD to offspring of their own.
